For those not on Facebook, this has been making the rounds today: it's a skull and crossbones railroad signal that was used in the 1930's near Grenada, Mississppi.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rrpicturearchives.net%2Fpictures%2F10676%2FSiren%2520Xing.jpg&hash=ad0ccd2beb835bd03e26dde79a783b35b16228aa)
There is also a video re-creation here (http://youtu.be/QGhFHKtDhns)
Here is a snap of the sign prior to removal:
(https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2908/13977915926_b2be6f9941_b.jpg)
This may be the coolest road related thing I've ever seen in my life. Oh, to have a time machine. This would be the first place I would visit.
Why have gates when you have a skull and crossbones above the tracks to warn you of the potential danger with railroad tracks!
I like it though. Shame there aren't any road signs with that skull on it.
I should get a tattoo of that skull. If they had color changing ink I definitely would.
I think Tim Burton should incorporate a sign like that in his next movie. Sheesh, if I was making movies I would do it.
If I were a director filming a movie with a large budget, I would build a replica of this sign, regardless of the genre of the film.
Still waiting for Jeremy to advocate something like this being placed at all diverging diamonds -- or "death diamonds," as he likes to call them. :-)
All that's missing is a wigwag in place of the lights in the middle.
That sign looked just as creepy in it's prime is in it's final days. I assumed by the video that there was neon accompaniment to the flashing lights, but that "siren" was overkill, I think there would have been several deaths due to heart attack and not train collision!
I have freaked out on more than one occasion when the crossing gates / lights activated when crossing the tracks, and another time when I heard a stopped train blow it's whistle not far from the crossing that I was going over.